2012 was a huge year for the Hive Five, where we ask you every week to tell us which products, gadgets, services, or applications are the best in a category. We ask you for your nominations, then tally up the five you agree are the best in the category, and then challenge you to vote for the best overall. Here are the most popular Hive Fives of 2012.

In case you're new to the Hive Five, the process is based entirely on reader nominations and votes. Every week, we put out a "call for contenders" for a specific category, and invite you to leave your nominees for the best. We round up the top five, highlight them in a feature post, and then crown the winner based on your votes. Sometimes the winner is the most popular, sometimes they're the cheapest, and sometimes they really are the best. In every case though, you can bet that the top five in any category definitely represent the best that category has to offer.

Whether you're tired of your stock home screen or just want a new and different way to interact with your Android device, you can probably find an Android launcher at Google Play that's just right for you. More »

Personalizing your desktop starts with customizing your wallpaper. Finding good wallpapers for your desktop however, isn't difficult, but everyone has an opinion about which sites are the best to visit for the best selection of wallpapers. More »

There are dozens of great web browsers available for Android, depending on the features you're looking for. Whether it's syncing with your desktop, or super-speedy browsing, or support for flash navigation, you have options galore-some of them popular, others not so much. More »

Buying a wi-fi router these days is no easy task. Long gone are the days where one model rose above the rest: now there are routers with different features, some that focus on range, others that focus on speed, and still others with advanced features like NAS support and traffic shaping options. More »

In honor of evil week, we're switching up the Hive Five a little bit. Instead of picking the five best in a category, this week we want to talk about the five worst in a category, specifically customer service. More »

When it comes to headphones, we know "best" is definitely a subjective term. There are tons of considerations: price, comfort, audio quality, noise cancellation, frequency response, bang for the buck, the list goes on. More »

When you're ready to take your data into your own hands and run your own blog, own your own photos, and host your own apps, it's time to find a good web host that can put it all on the web for you, give you the tools, bandwidth, and storage you need, and support you when you need help. More »

There are dozens-probably hundreds-of Android phones on the market today. Some of them are exclusive to specific carriers, some of them are available around the world, but only a few of them are at the head of their class. More »

Whether you're a beginner or you've been using Linux systems for years, you probably have an opinion on what the best distribution is. "Best," is obviously a relative term, and we understand that what's best for beginners may not be best for advanced users, and so on. More »

You spend hours at a time at your desk, so hopefully you're sitting in a comfortable chair. If not, it might be time for an upgrade. This week, we wanted to know which office chairs you thought were the best of breed, either because they offer great value, great comfort, or great ergonomics. More »

Whether you're killing time at your favorite coffee shop or you're traveling for work and don't want your data falling into the wrong hands, you need a VPN to keep your traffic encrypted and secure. More »

Picking the best keyboard for your needs is tough-everyone will have different opinions once they get their fingers on the keys, but there are definitely a few models that stand out above the rest, and plenty that are probably better than the ones that came with your computer. More »

Shopping for clothes in brick and mortar stories may give you instant gratification and the chance to try them on, but why bother when you can online, get bigger discounts, and have your clothes tailored to fit before they even get to your house? More »

The best desktop audio players organize your playlists, help you keep your massive music collection easy to search, and even sync with mobile players, among other things, but which ones excel in all of those areas? More »

Streaming music sites are a dime-a-dozen, but internet radio services-the kind where you press play, sit back, and enjoy music that you know you'll love and only interact if you hear something you don't-are a rarer breed. More »

Solid sound doesn't have to come at the expense of portability. Earbuds used to get a pretty bad rap for offering lackluster sound, but they've come a long way and many can seriously compete with their over-ear cousins. More »

The beauty of Android is that it's so customizable, and Android keyboards are no exception. There are keyboards available for every type of typist, whether you prefer to hunt and peck, turn your phone sideways and use both thumbs, or swipe across the screen with one finger. More »

If you're thinking about heading outside or to the gym to get some exercise now that the weather is turning warm, you may benefit from an appliance you can wear on your wrist or in your pocket that keeps an eye on your activity level and gives you feedback on how well you're doing. More »

Upgrading your computer's hardware isn't the only way to feel like you have a new machine. A new monitor can go a long way towards making your computer more fun to use and more functional. More »

There you have it. 2012 was a great year for the Hive Five in general, and a great year to get your feedback on the products, services, apps, and gadgets you love and would recommend to others. If there's a Hive Five topic you'd like to see us cover that we haven't yet, or one that you'd like us to revisit because the landscape has changed, don't forget to email us at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com, or let us know in the discussions below.

Curious which Hive Fives were popular in the past? Check out the most popular Hive Fives from 2011, 2010, and 2009.